The Cerritos Library established the clioinstitute in 2002 as its learning arm with the purpose of sponsoring thought-provoking events to help libraries creatively pioneer new approaches to lifelong learning.

The clioinstitute was first featured online as part of the Cerritos Library's online tutorial—to assist, inspire and support those who wish to emphasize the role of the public library as a "learning organization" either by building a new "Experience Library" or reinventing elements of an existing library.

Also, Michael Stevens at Tame the Web has shared his Dominican University's LIS class assignment which includes creating a blog and then making 5 blog posts about libraries, technology and the Web. Wow.

How can your resume stand alone from the rest? How to Write a Resume.org has published these seven tricks for getting an interview. Depending on your target, though, I'd say a few of these are way over the top...

Use different colored paper for your resumes.

Use different sized paper.

Have an inside contact.

Send a Certified Letter.

Send your resume with a gift.

Deliver the resume in person.

Do the "PostIt" trick - pretend it's already been seen (and liked) by an insider.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

In addition to the expected books and magazines, my local library has a surprisingly good collection of CDs and DVDs. Because the discs are in such great demand, though, finding ones I wanted to try had been an exercise in serendipity.

Then I discovered that by entering my library card number and PIN on the library’s site, I could search for and reserve materials from the entire county library system. The items I request are shipped to my local library, which sends me an e-mail when they arrive. I then have a week to pick them up. It’s like getting NetFlix or Amazon for free, although you have to return the materials after three weeks. (Actually, in many cases, you can renew the materials online as well, so you get more time.) Read more...

A homeless victim of the storm that ravaged New Orleans shelled out US$4.25 ($6.20) in quarters and won a US$1.6 million jackpot at a Louisiana casino where she had stopped to play the slot machines on her way to shop at a Wal-Mart discount store.

"I am a casino fanatic, it relaxes my nerves," said Jacquelyn Sherman, a 57-year-old retired librarian whose fortune changed on Tuesday. "I like winning but I never expected to win like this."

Sherman has been sleeping on her sister's floor in Opelousas, Louisiana, since the storm ravaged her house and killed hundreds of New Orleans residents in late August.

Sherman said she is determined to find a new, comfortable home back in the Big Easy.

The casino where she got lucky with the slot machine was Evangeline Downs Racetrack & Casino in Opelousas, near Lafayette where many victims of Katrina and later Hurricane Rita sought shelter.

Refusing to be "quiet, please," librarians are speaking out at the Sacramento Public Library, asserting they are overworked, understaffed and increasingly unable to meet the needs of patrons.

Budget-related issues resonating through the 27-branch system are echoing loudly at the flagship central library in downtown Sacramento, where employees recently signed a petition urging more staffing or fewer operating hours. In addition, librarians warned officials that funding cuts last year have resulted in poor customer service, safety issues and low employee morale.

"It is unacceptable to close public (information) desks," librarian Rebecca Higgerson told the Sacramento Public Library Authority Board. "It is unacceptable for patrons to stand in long lines because we don't have enough staff." More...

CHICAGO – The American Library Association -Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) is in search of a new name. The American Library Association established the ALA-APA in 2002 to advocate for the status and to better the salaries for library workers, and to offer certifications for library staff in specialized fields. With all the challenges ALA-APA faces in improving the status and educational qualifications of library workers, the association is in need of a name that reflects its mission.

“Awareness of the organization and its purposes is steadily increasing, but the ALA-APA is a still a long way from becoming a household name,” said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “At this point, we need to increase its visibility and create greater awareness of its important work among ALA members and the library community. One way to increase this awareness is through a name more expressive of the organization's purposes.”

ALA members and others interested in the status of library workers are invited to suggest a more appropriate name for ALA-APA that captures its two purposes:

-Certification of individuals in library specializations -Advocacy and direct support of comparable worth, pay equity initiatives, and other activities designed to improve the salaries and status of librarians and other library workers.

Send all entries via e-mail to Jenifer Grady at jgrady@ala.org, or fax to 312-944-6131. All entries must be submitted by Friday, October 28, 2005. Telephoned entries cannot be accepted.